Universal Home Experts

Very well. The electrican was very knowledgable and thoroughly explained what he was doing and the benefits of the service that would protect appliances, a/c, etc should the house wiring received during an electric storm or an electric surge. Offered details for additional services that the firm performs, and even fixed a minor oversight left by a previous electrician performing a complete house re-wiring!

Being a single mom and teacher I was trying to save money by replaceing a ballast myself. After buying the $15.99 ballast from Home Depot I realized the wires from light fixture didn't match the new ballast. Going back to Home Depot I was informed they no longer sold ballast with the same wiring. After burning out another ballast replacing bulbs I decided to hire someone. A few years ago I had used Universal Wiring to replace a ballast in my kitchen. Price was around $175 and service person also cut new plastic covering and installed at no extra charge. I was extremely satisfied so upon recommendations from Angie's list decided to use again. Very courteous, professional service. Larry called 30 minutes before appt. and arrived on time as scheduled. He wrote an estimate that was outrageous. He quoted a T12 to T8 retrofit would be $267 EACH!! I was shocked and said forget it because I couldn't afford $534.00. I also didn't realize the $59.00 service charge was added on so my bill would have been around $600!!! When I said forget it, I couldn't afford that, without missing a beat Larry "asked me if I just wanted to replace the ballast. He then wrote a quote for replacing T8 ballast for $179 each. What was the difference? He would provide the $6.97 light bulbs for approximately $200 more! Larry said he didn't work on commission but was paid hourly. I feel like I was being scammed by Universal trying to charge me almost $200 more for two $6.97 light bulbs!!! BOTTOM LINE: $30.00 worth of parts cost me $417.00 for about one hours work. Maybe I should quit my low paying teaching job so I can charge outragous prices. I feel sorry for all the people who actually go with their first quote.

They came out to give us an estimate, and while it was pretty expensive, they seemed knowledgeable and came highly recommended, so we went with them for the job. They were punctual, finished the job exactly when they said they would, and charged us exactly what they estimated the cost would be. The workman were careful to clean up after themselves, and they were all pleasant people to be around. When the city inspector came to check their work, he saw no problems at all.

Very pleased with the work done. Bit more cost than I expected but isn't that always the case :)

They were excellent. It was expensive. They did a great job. They were very professional. They really took care with everything. They didn't stop doing work until everything was totally done. There was never a mess. I never had a problem with them. Everything was good as it could be. If there is a need, I would definitely use them again in the future too.

I liked them, but their price was too high so I didn’t end up using them. They were pretty professional.

I called Universal wiring to look into why the power in the attic kept going out and causing my house alarm to go on battery. They performed a full inspection while here and let me know my electrical panel (original, builder-grade panel) needed replacing and that the outlets and switches were lazily connected (what they term "stabbed in the back") instead of properly wrapping the wires around the screw. Plus, the builder had not grounded any of my switches or outlets. They gave me the option of either just paying for the attic work (about $700) or having that included as part of the panel replacement job. While they were at it, I had them include a whole-house surge protector since I live right next to a power sub-station. I scheduled the work for Saturday because it would require 2-3 hours of power out. Tom and Jess came out on time, called before they arrived, and got straight to work. After they were done, they went through all the new install with me, and even showed me what I would need to do to properly ground my switches and outlets. They warned me that, while I could hire them to ground all the switches and outlets, it would be expensive because of the time involved, not because of the difficulty. Based on that, I plan on grounding the switches and outlets myself, since I'm reasonably handy. I was very happy with their work and the time they took to explain everything to me. I felt it was well worth the cost, not only for the resale value of the house, but also for plain old safety reasons. Oh, and my attic has not lost power since. Thank you, guys!

Technician was on time, very professional. Took him about 1 1/2 hour to trace the wiring and find the problem. After this he gave me an estimate for the repairs on my problem and three other jobs he was proposing to "bring the house up to code." I felt that given the amount of time spent in locating the problem and repairing it, the charge was excessive. Especially considering the parts for the repairs probably were $20 or less. I had asked for an estimate to add an outlet from a panel in the garage, through a wall in the adjacent room. The job involved adding a breaker to an existing panel, running approximately 30' of wire, installing a new outlet box in the wall and wiring in a new wall receptacle. The estimate he gave me for this work was approximately $1,100.00. The reason I wanted the estimate was because I do not currently have the time to do the work. I estimate I could do the work in about two hours. So I calculate at $85/hour, plus a generous estimate of $100 in parts, the job would cost around $270. Assuming a very slow person doing the work, taking 4 hours, the total charge would be $440, not even close to the $1,100 estimate. When he showed me the estimates to do the other additional work he was suggesting, I almost started laughing. $3,000.00 to upgrade the outlets in the house, but it does come with a three year warranty. i suspect the technicians work on a commission and share on the profits from any additional work they sell the clients. My suggestion, if you have a problem, they are qualified, courteous, professional on on time. You will pay more than from a local qualified electrician. They can get the work you need done. Do not agree to any additional work they are suggesting. I think in the future I will look for a qualified local electrician.

I was extremely pleased with his work. He did not take a break the whole time he was working – the job took about 6 hours

I've told my full story above. It's pretty short and sweet (uh', better make that short and bitter.)

Due to power outages across the city, the electrician called and rescheduled our original appointment so there was no inconvenience. They arrived on time and were friendly, including to our dogs! They performed an electrical assessment on the house and gave one recommendation. They said their pricing is based on the job (based on national standards), not per hour and i felt it was very reasonable. They did both jobs in a timely fashion. We will use them again for any electrical needs.

A/C failed to run. A/C contractor's dispatched by 1st American Home Warranty suggested problem at old breaker box, after 2nd of at least 7, attempts to repair the aging A/C unit. Home Warranty dispatched All-Safe Electric who viewed the box, in my absence, and said they tightened connections and everything looked fine. A/C operation seized again within hours of All-Safe's departure. I took advantage of Universal Wiring and Electrical Services' $74 offer to get a 2nd opinion. Everything WAS NOT fine with my box and All-Safe turned out not to be very safe, at all. Universal Wiring and Electric Services (UWES) showed me where a bad contact formed between the A/C breaker and bus, causing arching and burning of the contact. The bad contact was the final nail in the coffin for many of the vulnerable, aging A/C components. UWES also told me, I had a 40-amp breaker supporting a unitl that required 50-amps, possibly causing the bus to burn. I would find out later, with the help of an electrical engineer, after reading the manufacturer's specs on the A/C unit (37.5 - 50-amp breaker req'd), that UWES was incorrect, at least at the time the A/C unitl was installed 16 years earlier, before anything went wrong with that breaker and unit. It's conceivable, however, that the aging unit and breaker, together, could at some point, cease to operate within that range, in that large duration of time. They proceeded to upsell me items that would benefit my residence for a mere $28,000, approx $5,000 of which, would fix my breaker problem. My home was built in 1957, a perfect marketing target. Overall, the company spent a lot of time with me, patiently, in a home, w/o A/C. They seemed very knowlegable and competent; however, rigid, in what they had or were willing to do, to help me through my families' crisis. The bottom line was that it would cost me well over $4,000 that I didn't have. I got another Angie's List company to upgrade the box for $1,599. It's been 2 days without problems, so far. I think UWES would do a great and thorough job for someone from a more prominent neighborhood, who can spare the extra money needed to take 1957 to 2011.

They changed an additional service charge. They turned out to be twice as much for the same service that I received from another company. I told my new service provider how much I paid, and he said I over paid. They technician was fairly pushy.

Overall, the experience was very good. They took care of that very well, they were excellent in every respect. The technicians were courteous and easy to work with. They were recommended by Angie's List and others. I would use them again.

The technicians quickly and professionally installed the surge protector along with a 2 pole 15 amp breaker required for the installation.

Folks it doesn't get any better than this! Richard performed the estimate and supervised the onsite crew, and Nick at the office handled all the administrative matters. I called all over town trying to get a few data jacks installed, and even though you see these services advertised on the side of the road (and on Angie's List) - go ahead - call them. They'll tell you the job is too small, or they don't do residential, or you get some guys voice mail and maybe you'll get a call back, then they'll tell you the job is too small. Not so at Universal Wiring. I made the call, said I wanted a few data jacks installed, and Richard (called first) showed up the next day and performed the site survey. While here Richard saw all my computer equipment (most people have zillion dollar 60" plasma and LCD TV's - but I just have computer gear) and asked what sort of surge protection I used besides the obvious plug-in-the-wall power strips. I proudly stated my was built with a whole house surge protector which had already saved me once and was replaced by another electrician who was here installing a ceiling fan a few years ago with the most expensive unit I could buy at Home Depot. Richard inspected the unit and politely explained while the unit was a good one and still working, with the amount of computer gear I had in the house I might consider stepping up to a light grade, lower end commercial unit. As everyone knows, losing a computer is nothing - it's expected. What's horrible is rebuilding the unit with the data etc. because it takes so much time. This decision was a no-brainer for me so I asked Richard to put the new surge protector in the quote. The quote was emailed the next day as promised, approved by me, and an appointment was scheduled to perform the work. The day of the appointment Universal Wiring called to let me know they were on the way (who wants someone to just knock unannounced?), and even though the 3 techs went in and out the front door 30+ times that day, they put on booties each time before entering my house. (They should ask to get paid by the bootie install/uninstall.) Richard was onsite to supervise the work which was performed exactly as stated, and the amount charged was exactly what was on the quote. As they finished working at each location in the house the techs cleaned up and the house was spotless when they left. It's been 3 or 4 weeks now and everything is perfect. No glitches. No call-backs. In this day and age it's hard to get quality service from a nice, polite, company that stands behind their work with a guarantee. Universal Wiring will be doing all my electrical work in the future. Oh - did I mention Universal Wiring was happy to show up to quote a measly $350 worth of work and I was so impressed (and smart enough to know quality) that I spent $3500 to get the all the work I really wanted done since I knew it would be done right? Everyone else blew me off over the phone - ahhhhh, bad mistake vendors, take a lesson from these guys on customer service.

It went very well (as always). I've used this company many times and Yovani has always done a great job. Jessee accompanied him this time and also did an excellent job. They worked quickly and quietly; I hardly even knew they were here. They cleaned up afterward and vacuumed everywhere they had worked...my house was cleaner after they left than it had been before they arrived. I've never had a problem of any kind with this company but the office always calls me afterward to see how things went. I appreciate that. And, yes, this company's fees are higher than others but they have a rate list and you know, right off the bat, what the charges will be. Yovani has also caught errors in work done by other electricians...not nit-picking errors but serious oversights...so I think the fees are very good for the knowledge and quality of work.

Universal electric provided excellent service. First, they managed to track me down even though I had forgotten to update my cell phone number in Angie's List. I appreciate the fact that they took the effort to locate me and contact me to schedule service. The scheduling process was easy and they had people available to come do the work within 24 hours. I was given an installation window of 8-10am, although I was told they had a meeting at 8am and would likely be there between 9-10am. They contacted me around 8:45 to tell me it would be closer to 9:30, and contacted me around 9:20 to tell me it would be closer to 10am. They did arrive around 10am. I appreciate the frequent updates on their arrival and they did arrive at the end of the quoted window. Just a minor quirk. They were sensitive to the fact that I needed to get back to work and performed the job quickly and efficiently. The service providers were very clean, professional, nicely dressed, wore shoe covers inside the house, and were very easy to work with and knowledgeable. They even went out to get a drop cloth to make sure no insulation from the attic fell on my carpet when they inspected the attic wiring. They were absolutely the cleanest electrical service I have used in the area. I did have to purchase an additional circuit breaker to have the surge suppressor installed. Their service manager warned me about this on the telephone when scheduling the service. I wish it had been bundled into the initial price but apparently it was something that not every installation required, so I can understand that. They took the time to give me quotes for additional work, and to explain how the surge suppressor works and that it would not protect certain older 2-wire circuits in my home. A very professional group that I would definitely use again.

I actually called Universal almost one year ago. I got laid off and decided to start my own business, running it from home. Some of my new computer equipment (an uninterruptible power supply and battery backup system) needed to plug into a 220v outlet, and I planned to set it up in the living room corner. The nearest 220v outlet was in the kitchen. Universal sent Will over, and he gave my condo a thorough inspection inside, outside, and in the attic. I paid about $450 for that inspection. He gave me an estimate for the work I wanted done (see "services performed" section), and said that Universal would deduct my inspection fee from it when I scheduled the work. I thought the quote was rather high, but a friend who remodels homes says it wasn't unusual. I did not seek estimates from anyone else. Well, as a new biz owner on a shoestring, I had to postpone the electrical work to conserve cash. So for a year I've had a thick, ugly blue extension cord running from the living room into the kitchen! When I finally had the funds, Will came back over and updated the original estimate to include a couple of things I hadn't asked for last year. He and Ryan and Jesse were here at 9am three days later, and they had all the work completed by 5pm. They were thorough, very conscious of keeping things neat, and just plain NICE. Even my schnauzer loved them, and he normally barks at strangers incessantly. Will reviewed all the work with me in detail when they were done. I was impressed.

I bought a coupon and had an inspection, I had a very good experience as the representative explained with detail what was going on in my home , vis a vis electrical issues. I was impressed by the knowledge and professionalism, and patience as the thorough explanation was going on. I learned a lot. Impeccable social skills were a bonus. I purchase a home protection discount as well. The job was done on time . I will definitely call them again if I need to.

I saw a discount for the home surge protect, so that is how I got involved with Universal Wiring. But I was aware of some bad wiring in my house (breakers tripping, etc) and an outlet that just did not work. Larry with Universal showed up on time, reviewed my situation and provided written options and prices to fix it (I love options!). I chose from my options and the work was completed quickly and professionally, at a lower than initially estimated price :) I have already recommended this company to a friend and will use them again if necessary.

Universal came out and that cost me about $50-60 just for a trip fee. Then to troubleshoot the various issues I had they charged me a flat $400 fee. They had big sheet with all the services they do and a cost per service. It was like a menu and very organized, so you could be sure you weren't getting ripped off (or at the least you knew how much it would cost). Unfortunately the trip fee could not be rolled into this cost. In the end he fixed nearly everything that was wrong. There were two ceiling lights that he said was the wiring between the switch and the ceiling so I would have to rip out everything to replace the wiring. He was very professional and patiently explained issues to me. It was costly for a little more than an hours worth of work but I guess that's what electricians get paid. I would use them again though. Update from A to C rating: Turns out one of my 3-way light switches don't work consistently anymore. It was in my backyard so I didn't use it often and didn't notice right away. Sometimes switching it on in my bedroom works and sometimes it doesn't and I have to run to the breakfast area to switch it there first and then back to the bedroom. It wasn't like this previously. I went to their website to get a new appointment 2 different times towards the end of the 90-day warranty period. They never responded. I forgot to follow-up until after the 90-day period.

I purchased the whole house surge protection special for $175.00. I had priced it through several companies at around $300.00, so I thought it was a great deal. Upon arrival, the electrician informed me my panel box required a new breaker for him to install the system. He was right, so I knew it would cost more as the $175.00 special assumed a standard installation into an open and available breaker. I was prepared to pay for a new breaker, what I was not prepared to pay was the outrageous sum of $600.00. When I refused to pay that much and asked for a refund of what I paid through Angies List, the technician tried to get me to pay a $59.00 "service call fee." All of that said, the technician that arrived at my home was courteous, respectful, and obviously knowledgeable. The technician listened attentively when I told him why I was not going to have the work performed, and agreed without protest to waive the $59.00 fee. It may seem strange, but I WOULD use the company again in the future, with one caveat: It would be for a special much like this one, and any additional work beyond the special would be a non-starter. The electrician showed me their pricing schedule, all of which seemed excessively high. In general I am a "you get what you pay for" guy, but in this instance, I found the quality of the service, while excellent, did not justify the exhorbitant price, outside of what I had already paid.

They should have been here at 2 pm, and then they said 3:30pm, but no one showed. I cancelled the appointment. I felt their travel charge was a little expensive, especially since they weren't going to be doing any work.

Definitely professional and stood behind there work went the door bell stopped working 2 weeks after they originally fixed it and fixed it again fro not charge. HOWEVER, their prices are outlandish!!! They charged me $700 to install 2 jacks. Seriously! They gave me a bunch of excuses about how I lived in an old house and they had to ground the wires leading to the jacks which was more work, etc. I had another licensed electrician come to my house and install another jack for $150. He laughed when I told him how much Universal charged me and told me that they ripped me off. I even asked the other electrician about the process he used to ensure that that the wires were grounded, and he assured me that there is only one way to installed a jack that is up-to-code and grounded and it doesn't cost $350 per jack to do that. I won't use Universal again, and I tell everyone never to call them because their rates are practically theft.